Monday, May 29, 2017

Mystery surrounds death of 30,000 fish at Indian lake (VIDEO)

More than 30,000 dead fish washing up on the shores of Rampally
lake near Hyderabad in central India prompted an angry response from
environmental activists, who claim it shows the area’s alarming
pollution levels.

The
mass death follows similar incidents last week in which a total of
60,000 fish were found dead in the waters of Shamirpet lake and Medchal
lake on the outskirts of the city.

Local officials claim the fish succumbed to a bacterial
infection caused by high temperatures – but environmental activists
insist responsibility lies with domestic and industrial polluters.

Speaking to the Times of India, environmental expert Prof K Purushotham Reddy said:
“Lakes and [water] tanks around city are becoming a deadly mix of
domestic sewage, municipal waste and hazardous waste dumped
irresponsibly by industries. When it rains, all this flows into lakes
and tanks."

“Since these wastes contain all kinds of
acids, plastics and chemicals, the subsequent reactions reduce the level
of dissolved oxygen in water which makes it impossible for fish to
survive.”

Members of a local fishermen’s cooperative refuse to place the blame
squarely on industrial chemical plants surrounding the lake. They point
to the area’s increasing urbanization as well as the fact that Rampally
is at the apex of three interconnected lakes which are all similarly
polluted.

"It's not just pollution from industries in the
close vicinity but also increasing number of residential colonies
release their waste into the lake,” said Laxman Eega, a local fisherman.

Meanwhile, Prof Reddy has warned that the surviving fish might now be too dangerous to consume. “What is dangerous for the fish is dangerous for us too, especially if the fish is from polluted lakes,” he said.

Activists group Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) have blamed the local government for its failure to regulate industry.

Speaking following the mass death on Shamirpet lake last week, SOUL spokesperson Lubna Sarwath said:
“The government continues to be in denial regarding the condition of
the dying lakes. They are converting the lakes into dumping grounds for
mud and sewage.”

The latest series of incidents follow another in February
when three industrial units were ordered to stop operations following
the discovery of thousands of dead fish in Isnapur lake. During the
subsequent investigation, the Telangana State Pollution Control Board
(TSPCB) found a high level of chemical effluent was being released into
the 200-acre site.